Suspended Compute Engine instances should not have persistent disks attached
This check identifies VM instances in a SUSPENDED or SUSPENDING state with persistent disks still attached. Persistent disks on suspended VMs remain accessible through the GCP API and could contain sensitive data while the instance is inactive.
Persistent disks on suspended VM instances remain accessible through the GCP API and may contain sensitive data. This creates risks of unauthorized data access if permissions are misconfigured, data exposure from forgotten unmonitored infrastructure, and security blind spots where suspended resources are overlooked during reviews.
What this control checks
Checks whether suspended Compute Engine instances still have persistent disks attached
Audit evidence
Evidence that deployed resources meet this control: Prowler check compute_instance_suspended_without_persistent_disks (prowler gcp --checks compute_instance_suspended_without_persistent_disks).
Tool mappings
Use these identifiers to cross-reference this control across tools, reports, and evidence.
- Compliance.tf Control:
gcp_compute_instance_suspended_without_persistent_disks - Prowler Check:
compute_instance_suspended_without_persistent_disks
Last reviewed: 2026-10-09